B-52H Stratofortress bombers launched from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam and RAF Fairford, United Kingdom, March 18, to conduct simultaneous theater familiarization training in the Indo-Pacific and Europe.

Before pilots step into fighter aircraft, they must go through Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals.
IFF is an eight-week course designed to transform newly graduated pilots selected to fly fighters into fighter wingmen. The 49th Fighter Training Squadron teaches pilots the discipline, attitude and culture of what it takes to be at the peak of combat aviation.

The 77th meeting of the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Steering Committee, which is the governing body of the world’s only internationally manned and operated pilot training program, was held at Sheppard Air Force Base, March 11-15, to give representatives from partner nations an opportunity to discuss the physical and financial health of the 55-week long program. The committee also took a look at the course syllabus and any possible changes that need to be made, such as employing tools like virtual and mixed realities.

A Bomber Task Force deployment of B-52 Stratofortress aircraft, Airmen and support equipment from the 2nd Bomb Wing, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, have arrived in the U.S. European Command area of operations for a deployment to conduct theater integration and flying training.

Ensuring Airmen are ready to meet the joint-warfighting needs of today’s dynamic security environment in a way that moves with 21st century speed is a challenge faced in every training environment in Air Education and Training Command.

The 99th Medical Group, Department of Veterans Affairs and Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps took part in Operation Foremost Endeavor, an exercise where injured individuals in a simulated disaster were airlifted to Nellis AFB, Nevada, Feb. 19.

Under Secretary of the Air Force Matthew P. Donovan, the second highest ranking civilian in the Department of the Air Force, visited Sheppard on Feb. 14, 2019, to see how the Air Force’s largest and most diverse technical and undergraduate pilot training base is employing technology to train today’s Airmen for tomorrow.

This week's photos feature Airmen from around the globe involved in activities supporting expeditionary operations and defending America. This weekly feature showcases the men and women of the Air Force.

Aerial porters, defenders and medical personnel from the 433rd Airlift Wing joined the 502nd Air Base Wing defenders, the San Antonio Military Medical Center doctors and helicopter crews from Texas Army National Guard, 2nd Battalion, 149th Aviation Regiment in Operation Dust Storm Feb. 1 at Martindale Army Air Field, Texas.

U.S. and Philippine air forces Airmen marked the successful completion of 12 days of bilateral training and increased mutual cooperation during the seventh iteration of Bilateral Air Contingent Exchange-Philippines, or BACE-P, at Cesar Basa Air Base, Feb. 1, 2019.

The application cycle for the Academic Year 2020 Civilian Development Education opportunities opens March 1.
“The Air Force is making a dedicated effort to develop the entire workforce and all of our future leaders,” said Patricia Young, Air Force Materiel Command executive director. “We are making an investment in them and giving them skills, education and training so they can continue to lead and make us the best Air Force in the world.”

The 418th FLTS’s continued testing on the KC-46A Pegasus program informed the decision for the Air Force officially accepting the new generation tanker Jan. 10, marking a major milestone for the next generation tanker and allowing Airmen to begin operational testing and flight training.

It is vital for medical Airmen to continuously maintain and improve their skills. To access more training opportunities, military surgeons are looking to virtual training platforms. The Air Force is working with sister services to study a virtual training platform called Crowd-Sourced Assessment of Technical Skills, or C-SATS. C-SATS provides specialized training for surgeons to further improve their specialized skills.

Emma Herrington became the first Civil Air Patrol cadet to earn her private pilot’s certificate through the new Cadet Wings program January 24. The Cadet Wings Program is part of the organization’s Youth Aviation Initiative, funded by the Air Force.